Orsha: humanitarian mission of Red Cross pervades town precincts

The information about the composition of the precinct election commissions in Orsha can provoke many questions among the people who aren’t familiar with peculiarities of the Belarusian election system.

First of all, there are no representatives of the opposition except for 6 representatives of the Belarusian Party of Leftists Fair World.

Another surprising moment is the even distribution of nominees of civil associations in the commissions: almost each commission contains a nominee of the Belarusian Republican Youth Union (BRSM), Belaya Rus, the Belarusian association of veterans and the Red Cross.

Representatives of Red Cross have been included in more than a half of all commissions. Why does the organization that has nothing to do with elections have such a great number of the members who are eager to work in precinct commissions? And why nobody has heard about any intensive activities of Red Cross in Orsha for several years already? Do civil activists of Red Cross and Water Rescuers’ Association have enough skills for such work? All these questions are hanging in the air.

In this connection, it is worth mentioning that nominees of political parties weren’t included in the commissions because of ‘lack of professionalism’.

Another peculiarity of the formation of the precinct commissions is that the chairperson of the institution on the territory of which a precinct commission is situated is usually included in the commission. These people can be nominated to precinct commissions in different ways – as members of trade unions or Belaya Rus or through collection of electors’ signatures, but it doesn’t prevent them from directing the activities of the precinct commissions.

All these facts can’t but witness the great wish of the Orsha authorities to make the election campaign open and fair.

Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections